Lessons from the Doctrine and Covenants 2021
Lesson No. 43

The Importance of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times - D&C 124

Building temples is evidence that the true Church has been restored – The Lord said, “my people are always commanded to build [temples] unto my holy name” (D&C 124:39-40).  Whenever a temple is built there is opposition from the adversary.  Less than two months before he was martyred the Prophet Joseph Smith said, “We need the temple more than anything else” (Journal History of the Church, May 4, 1844).  Joseph’s life built up to a great crescendo.  In Nauvoo during the last three years of his life Joseph gave 78 discourses mostly about the temple and after life.  But even then he never revealed everything he knew.  He told the saints he could have taught them a hundred times more about life after death if the Lord permitted it, and if the people were prepared to receive it.

All other dispensations have looked forward to our dispensation with joyful anticipation – The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote:  “The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live" (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church – Joseph Smith p.186).

The Lord has revealed doctrine in our dispensation that has never been revealed before – “For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times” (D&C 124:41; see also D&C 128:18).  Doctrine that was previously kept hid, but now has been revealed include:

Redeeming the dead pertains to the dispensation of the fulness of times – Any temple work performed for the Dead in New Testament times or among the Nephites was very limited in time and place.  In our dispensation the Lord has provided modern technology, communications, and transportation to overcome the limitations of the past and move his work forward worldwide.

The work of our dispensation takes place and is correlated on both sides of the veil - “I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only begotten son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead” (D&C 138:57).

In a sermon entitled All are Alike unto God describing the revelation on the priesthood received by President Spencer W. Kimball on June 1, 1978 Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained that this revelation was of “tremendous import and of eternal significance” because it “affects our missionary work and all of our preaching to the world.  This affects our genealogical research and all of our temple ordinances.  This affects what is going on in the spirit world because the gospel is preached in the spirit world preparatory to men’s receiving the vicarious ordinances which make them heirs to salvation and exaltation….We correlate and combine our activities and do certain things for the salvation of men while we are in mortality, and then certain things are done for the salvation of men while they are in the spirit world awaiting the day of the resurrection.”

Our dispensation will not fall into apostasy, therefore our salvation is secure if we stay in the mainstream of the Church – A new dispensation is required because of apostasy in the previous dispensation.  All other dispensations fell into apostasy, ours will not.  The knowledge that there will not be a general apostasy in our dispensation is a wonderful blessing.  However, there will be individual apostasy, but if we stay in the mainstream of the Church and follow the prophet our future with things that matter is certain and secure.